Friday, 8 July 2016

Men who had guns but weren’t shot by police: Guess what many have in common?

Part 1 t0 7

So far this year, 509 people have been shot and killed by police in the United States, according to The Washington Post’s Fatal Force database. Most had guns, and most were white, but a quarter were black — a disproportionate number, given the country’s African American population.

Yet police officers frequently arrest suspects armed with guns who have shot and killed one or more people, who have shot at or killed cops, who have threatened men, women and children. And they arrest them without incident or loss of more life, according to the letter of the law. I did a bit of research and found plenty of examples. And, not surprisingly, lots of those gunmen were white.

Men who had guns, but weren't shot by police, Part 5:Jesse Deflorio was 22 when he was arrested after police said they found him hiding behind a Dumpster, shooting a BB gun at them in Concord, New Hampshire in 2014. They said he was arrested for shooting at random people with his BB gun a year earlier. Both arrests were without incident.

Men who had guns, but weren't shot by police, Part 6:Robert W. Sweatman, 45, was arrested in Bath Township, Ohio, last month after he allegedly brandished a weapon at another driver (he told police the guy had his brights on) on Interstate 77. When he was arrested and videotaped with a police body camera, officers found a 9 mm gun in the car center console of his white Cadillac, 11 rounds in a magazine and brass knuckles. The indictment filed in Summit County Court said he did not have a concealed carry permit.

Men who had guns, but weren't shot by police, Part 7:On an evening this past May, police arrived at the Kindred Crossings West nursing home in New London, Connecticut after folks reported a drunken man waving a gun at the home.Without incident, they arrested Paul Bialowas, 66, who is from Louisiana. He had a revolver on him. And in his rental car, police found an AR-15 assault weapon, two pistols, assorted ammunition and a large capacity ammunition magazine. He made his $75,000 bail on four felony and four misdemeanor charges.